1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shielded connector including a male connector and a female connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with the widespread use of electric vehicles and the like, the connector including a male connector which houses a male terminal and a female connector which houses a female terminal has been used under high voltage conditions.
For example, as a connector for use under high voltage conditions, a shielded connector has been known which is provided with metallic shells to be electrically connected to braided wires of shielded electric wires inside a male housing of a male connector and a female housing of a female connector, respectively (for example, refer to PTL 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H11(1999)-126657). In this shielded connector, upon fitting of the male connector and the female connector, the metallic shell of the male connector and that of the female connector fit to each other to connect their respective braided wires of the shielded electric wires to each other, thus achieving a high-frequency shield.
However, with conventional shielded connectors, in order to accommodate high-voltage electrical conduction, the sizes of the shielded electric wire and the male and female terminals (hereinafter referred to as the terminal) have been made larger, and as a result of this, the sizes of the male connector and the female connector have also been made larger. Consequently, the male housing and the female housing have been provided with a wider opening, which has created the possibility that, upon disengagement of the male connector and the female connector, a tool or the like may directly touch the terminal to cause an electrical problem. Therefore, there has been a room for improvement in the protection of the terminal against a tool or the like having a potential for contact with the terminal.